CENTRE — In the wake a story in the Nov. 21 issue of The Post about the fallout from a letter to thousands of county residents on the subject of mandatory garbage pickup, Probate Judge Melvyn Salter stopped by our offices to clarify the history of the issue.

Salter explained that countywide garbage pickup first became an issue on Feb. 14, 1990 when the Cherokee County Health Board – composed of all the physicians in the county, along with the chairman of the County Commission and the area director of the Alabama Department of Public Health – recommended to the County Commission that someone be hired to act as the county's solid waste officer.

The following day, the Health Board developed a resolution that included the sentiment that “mandatory pickup of solid waste would be a major step forward in control of solid waste in Cherokee County.” The resolution called for mandatory pickup of garbage to begin as soon as possible.

As a result of that request, Wayne Cochran was hired in April 1990 as the county's solid waste officer. In June of that year, the Commission hired Emergency Services Associates (ESA) to develop a plan to implement garbage pickup. In August, the Cherokee County Solid Waste Authority was incorporated to oversee garbage disposal. In November 1990, the Commission adopted the plan that had been developed by ESA.

Two months later, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management urged the county to intensify its efforts to begin garbage collection. In response, in February 1991, the Commission voted to commit to door-to-door trash pickup in all unincorporated areas of the county. The Commission passed a resolution to that effect in November 1992.

Twenty-one years later, only around 3,800 of 7,000 potential customers have voluntarily signed up for mandatory garbage service from the county. Salter said the recent letter from Waste Management to customers and non-customers earlier this month, though delivered improperly in Salter's opinion, was a step toward improving that number.

Salter said the Commission is merely following state law, as well as its own ordinances, and is working to ensure that the remaining 3,200 county residents become paying customers. He said he has tried to explain to residents who have called to complain about being forced to sign-up for door-to-door service that, among other advantages, more customers could eventually mean a smaller monthly bill for everyone.

“Many callers have admitted that they are taking their garbage to work, or to Georgia, or to Etowah or Calhoun counties,” Salter said. “Each one of those people will have to determine for himself if that is the intent of the law.”

Salter said he has also had to explain the economics of the equation to callers who don't understand why monthly municipal garbage service charges in Centre and Cedar Bluff are cheaper than the county.

“Municipalities have less equipment, fewer employees and more residents closer together than we have in the unincorporated areas of the county,” Salter said. “Some of our customers are miles apart from each other.”

Additionally, Salter explained that municipalities often have the advantage of signing up residents regardless of whether they want garbage pickup or even intend to use it.

“Municipalities can automatically add customers who are already on their water system,” Salter said. “That way, they don't miss anyone.”

Since there is no countywide water system, Salter said, the county has no database for automatic billing. Therefore, the Commission has the task of trying to enforce the mandatory pickup law in other ways, such as a letter to residents reminding them of their responsibilities.

“The law is the law and each person must decide their interpretation of the law,” he said.